Developers World Championship: Match Report - Russia v Denmark (Group E)

VS DENMARK Whac-A-Mole (Kiloo)

In the build-up to this Group E bout between European app middleweights Russia and Denmark, two popular sayings permeated the press cordon:

- Will lightning strike the same place twice?
- If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

iOS game developers HeroCraft and Kiloo were taking to the Pocket Gamer Bath field once again, having both suffered comprehensive reverses in round one at the hands of Holland and Japan.

Do-or-die then, for a loss tonight would most likely spell the end of the vanquished nation’s 2010 campaign.

After falling foul on Monday of one arcade legend, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, another cabinet classic loomed in the away dressing room for Russia’s logic game.

Attempting to bash Hexagon Labs into submission was Denmark’s Whac-A-Mole, a revamp of the cute-cum-violent smash ‘em up.

Let battle commence.

Kick Off: 7.30pm, 19th June

The critical view: Hexagon Labs’ rather impressive AI (on loan for six months from USA) had clearly done its research on the opposition in the video and tactics suite. Russia’s heroes had crafted a formation which, from the kick-off, puzzled and confounded the Danes.

The eastern Europeans’ 27 levels and three game modes spread the ball around the playing surface in a beguiling way, leaving the Danish backline bamboozled.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the Russian centre forward finished off a six-sided team move with aplomb. It's fair to say he milked the applause somewhat, earning a yellow card in the process, yet who could blame the big man in the circumstances.

The strange omission of leaderboards, achievements, and collectables was Whac-A-Mole’s undoing in the final third; the 9000 squad moles available had burrowed into the box on a couple of occasions, but kept scuttling down blind alleys when through on goal.

The Danish tifosi had finally found their voices in this tournament, cheering on their colourful compatriots in impressive numbers for all three of the reasons above.

While Whac-A-Mole's four game modes and bonus items were, of course, important in the approach play, it was the official license of a much-loved arcade basher that ultimately undid the Russians' defensive line and led to the Scandinavian's popping up in the box to devastating effect, first to equalise on the hour mark, then to smash home the winner with five minutes to play.

Confused? Click here to go to the iPhone Game Developers World Championship info page.